Egwene al'Vere
| affiliation=White Tower | nationality=Andoran | status=Dead | title=Amyrlin Seat | hair=Brown | eyes=Brown | gender=Female | build=Slender | height= 1 span, 2 inches | appeared= | lastappeared= | lastmentioned= }} Egwene al'Vere is one of the main female protagonists of the series. Appearance She is described as pretty, with large brown eyes and long dark hair. She briefly wore her hair in a braid, the Two Rivers symbol that a woman has come of age, but once she began taking lessons from Moiraine she decided to take it down because "Aes Sedai don't braid their hair. At least, not unless they want to." She's very short, standing one span and two inches. Family tree Personality Egwene is frequently described as wanting to learn everything, as fast as possible; she often chafes against the restrictions her teachers put on her, even those set for her own safety. Moiraine Damodred has made note of Egwene's social intuition; while she may not understand the private or secret machinations going on around her, she is often (at least) aware that they are happening. Egwene frequently acts in a manner that comes off as arrogant. She also, like many other women in the series, believes men to be foolish or blunt. Because of this, she usually gets her way. One aspect of her personality developed throughout the series is her similaai in nature, despite not having been nurtured in the White Tower. She begins to gain skill in manipulation and gains a view that things must be as she sees them and assumes things that aren't always true. She puts a lot of faith in the White Tower, believing it is, like most Aes Sedai, the ultimate source of knowledge and the best thing to rely on. Her opinion of the Tower is very high. Egwene has shown she may think the White Tower should "guide" Rand, and could use him better than he could on his own. One example is her belief that Rand takes the embassy from Tar Valon at face value despite the fact that Rand is more wary of them then any other. Her time spent as a Seanchan damane in Falme has caused her to have a deep hatred of them. This makes her quite narrow-minded where Seanchan are concerned. She loathed the feeling of powerless the a'dam gave her. She is believed to think Seanchan deserve to be treated as Darkfriends, or perhaps even worse. Thoughts of her time in Falme can cause extreme panic, fear, and anger. The treatment she endured blinds her with rage whenever she encounters Seanchan. Channeling abilities She is one of the strongest female channelers seen in over a thousand years. Among women, Egwene al'Vere is only outstripped in the One Power currently by Nynaeve, Talaan, Sharina, Alivia, Someryn, Tamela, Viendre and the Forsaken. She has likely reached her potential, or at least very far along. She is also the first Aes Sedai Dreamer to have been discovered since Corianin Nedeal, who died approximately 473 years prior to her rediscovery of this Talent; she is powerful enough to break out of an illusion orchestrated by Moghedien in the World of Dreams, which is no small feat, considering that Moghedien is the most powerful Dreamer among the Forsaken (it is hinted, however, by Moghedien that she wasn't really trying to keep Egwene - just testing her strength). She also has exceptional ability with weaving Earth, as shown by her talent for Delving and detecting metal ores, and decent with Fire which is a very rare trait among women, giving her the ability to create cuendillar with immense speed and ease (an ability which she incidentally was the one to rediscover). She also has strength in Spirit as evidenced by her ability to still an Aes Sedai holding the Source while she was only Accepted and her Dream-related Talents. By her own admission, she is also very strong in Air and Water, making it likely that she is one of the rare few channelers with great ability in all five of the Powers. She has no Talent with Healing, though her Healing weaves seem to favorably impress the Head of the Yellow Ajah. Egwene can split her flow fourteen ways, a feat unmatched by even the Forsaken, though they may well be capable of it. The Aes Sedai of the White Tower have declared that there are no areas of the Power she needs training in. Family and friends Egwene is the youngest daughter of Marin al'Vere and Brandelwyn al'Vere, Mayor of Emond's Field. Egwene's sisters, all older, are Elisa, Alene, Loise, and Berowyn. She grew up in Emond's Field with Rand al'Thor, Matrim Cauthon, Perrin Aybara and Nynaeve al'Meara. Though friends with all of them, she was particularly close with Rand, whom it was assumed she would marry when they both came of age. She also wished to become apprentice Wisdom to Nynaeve. Activities Adventure Winternight changed all that. When Trollocs invaded the Two Rivers region, Rand, Mat and Perrin were spirited away by Moiraine Sedai for their own protection; Egwene went with them, seeking "adventure". Moiraine had an agenda of her own: she had discovered that Egwene was born with the spark to channel; it was Moiraine's intent to bring her to Tar Valon to train to become Aes Sedai; when Nynaeve chased after them, Moiraine decided to include her as well, against Nynaeve's wishes. On the journey to Tar Valon (via Caemlyn), Egwene and Perrin were separated from the rest of the party during a trolloc attack at Shadar Logoth. She was present when Perrin met Elyas Machera and learned of his ability to talk to wolves, and she is one of very few people who knows the truth of his golden eyes and occasional bouts of wolfish behavior. At his request, she has kept this secret. In the Tower After the events at the Eye of the World, Egwene and Nynaeve were brought to Tar Valon, where they met Elayne Trakand and became reacquainted with Min Farshaw. Not long after being accepted as a novice, she and Nynaeve were confronted by Liandrin, who told them that Rand was in danger, and she needed their help. Elayne and Min overheard the conversation, and decided to leave with them. They met Liandrin in the Grove, and traveled the Ways to Falme, where they learned Liandrin had tricked them. Elayne and Nynaeve managed to escape, but Egwene was made damane and renamed Tuli, while Min was simply captured. Through a lot of planning, work, and organization, Elayne, Nynaeve and Min were able to free Egwene during the battle of Falme. Egwene's strength in the One Power was drastically heightened by the rigors of her damane duties, but to this day she cannot stand the idea of being collared again. They met up with Moiraine and shortly thereafter, Elayne, Nynaeve and Egwene traveled back to Tar Valon in the company of Verin, taking Mat with them so he could be rid of the dagger from Shadar Logoth to which he was bound and which was killing him. Back to the Tower Shortly after returning, Egwene was given the test to become Accepted, spending a remarkably short time as a novice. Egwene was discovered to be a Dreamwalker, one who could easily enter Tel'aran'rhiod, the World of Dreams, while sleeping. Besides exploring this new facet of her life, Egwene and Nynaeve were charged with a top secret task by the Amyrlin herself: to hunt out the Black Ajah. Naturally, Elayne wanted to join in the quest, though she was not included in the task. While they had been away, Liandrin and twelve other Black sisters had fled the Tower after stealing many ter'angreal and killing a number of sisters and other Tower personnel. The three girls set out for Tear to find them, and were imprisoned in the Stone of Tear when Rand al'Thor drew Callandor from its wards and proclaimed himself the Dragon Reborn. Mat rescued them from their imprisonment during the fall of the Stone of Tear, though Egwene had already managed to partly shield the black sister guarding their cell in the World of Dreams. Instead of thanking him for his assistance, they scoffed at him and marched away. To the Waste After the Stone of Tear, Egwene parted ways with Elayne and Nynaeve and chose to follow Rand to the Aiel Waste, so she could learn from the Aiel Wise Ones how to be a Dreamer. Although Aes Sedai know much more about saidar than the Wise Ones, the Wise Ones are masters of Tel'aran'rhiod. Becoming an informal apprentice to the Wise Ones, she applied herself to learning from the Aiel women. Despite sometimes harsh training and rules that she chafed under, she learned much during her time with them, including taking to heart ji'e'toh, their code of honor. She then travels with Rand and the rest of the Aiel to Cairhien and the battle with the Shaido. She was injured during the attack by Lanfear at the Docks as a result of Lanfear's rage against any woman with whom Rand had slept. While recuperating in Cairhien, she meets up with Gawyn again. They begin to regularly meet with each other and finally confess their love for each, sealing their relationship with stolen kisses. After she had fully recovered and was able to return to the World of Dreams, she was summoned by the Hall of the Tower in exile. Before leaving, she admitted to the Wise Ones that she had visited the World of Dreams without their permission and also that she was not a full Aes Sedai. She then requested that they help her meet her toh, which she met with much ji. Egwene and Rand severed their romantic ties long ago, and today Rand has his three lovers, and Egwene is enamored with Gawyn Trakand, Elayne's older brother. Summoned to the Hall After the White Tower split and the Blue Ajah fled to Salidar, Egwene was chosen by the Hall of the Salidar Tower to become their Amyrlin Seat, in opposition of Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan, who sat in the White Tower. The Salidar Hall's public reason was that she was a fresh face who had not been involved in the Breaking of the Tower, and was strong in the One Power. In reality, certain members of the Hall desired to use her as a puppet, and a scapegoat should their rebellion fail; as evidence, they used an unusual definition of Tower law to raise her directly from Accepted to Amyrlin Seat, which had the side effect of making her a full Aes Sedai. Amyrlin Seat Egwene took former Amyrlin Siuan Sanche as her advisor, and former Mistress of Novices, Sheriam Bayanar of the Blue Ajah as her Keeper of the Chronicles. She was raised, basically only as a figure-head to be controlled by the Sitters, Romanda Cassin and Lelaine Akashi in particular. She has been slowly disabusing the Salidar Hall of the idea that she can be controlled, especially when she taught them Traveling, a Talent she had rediscovered with the help of Wise Ones who provided her with a similar weave upon which she could base Traveling and after questioning Moghedien to ensure it would work before she tried it. She proved herself extremely intelligent and deft at manipulating the women who desired to manipulate her, indeed making them believe that they were succeeding and she could be controlled. She raises Elayne, Nynaeve, Faolain Orande and Theodrin Dabei to actual Aes Sedai without consulting the Hall first. In the wake of Rand's announcement of amnesty for male channelers, she is concerned about alienating Rand if she answered calls to gentle or execute Logain Ablar. So she circumvented the Hall again, secretly arranging to allow him to escape by having Siuan drug the warders and Aes Sedai that were guarding him. Soon after, she is wearing the a'dam bracelet when Moghedien is released by a man who can channel. She briefly wonders if Logain did it, before realizing that it must have been one of the other Forsaken. A subsequent investigation intended to reveal the identity of the Forsaken responsible turned up nothing because the search for a male channeler overlooked Aran'gar, who, in addition to freeing Moghedien, was also masquerading as Halima, secretary to Delana before becoming Egwene's maid. Later Faolain and Theodrin pledge an oath of fealty to Egwene and promise to be loyal to her. She finds out that Myrelle Berengari and Nisao Dachen have been hiding Lan after Moiraine's death and sends him to Ebou Dar to protect Nynaeve. She then demands both Myrelle and Nisao's oath of fealty as well, which they give. She also has to deal with Nicola Treehill and Areina Nermasiv blackmailing her for acting as an Aes Sedai while still Accepted. The blackmailing doesn't work and she sends the two away seriously reprimanded. She then raised an army with the help of Gareth Bryne, one of the Five Great Captains, who used to be in service of Queen Morgase of Andor. Egwene felt called to lead her sisters and army to war against Elaida, although she regrets the need deeply. Gareth has strongly hinted that the army is hers first and foremost, before even the Sitters of the Hall. Over the course of her reign, she tries her best to live by the three oaths despite the fact that she had not yet sworn on the Oath Rod. She proposes a lot of new changes to the Aes Sedai, including the idea that they should retire into the Kin. She has also opened the novice book for women of any age now, which has increased their number immensely. She has thus far proven herself to be a powerful Amyrlin. Betrayal and capture As part of the Siege of Tar Valon, Egwene and Leane secretly row out to the two harbors of Tar Valon and turn their giant chains into cuendillar. However, they are captured, having been betrayed by someone from the Salidar Aes Sedai (now known to be Beonin Marinye ) Leane and Egwene are both drugged with forkroot, which temporarily makes them unable to channel. Egwene was taken by the White Tower Aes Sedai and demoted to a novice at Elaida's command. She notices that many among the Tower are at each other's throats and plans to exploit that from within, viewing herself as an agent rather than a prisoner. Her refusal to treat the Tower Aes Sedai with the deference and courtesy expected of a novice leads to repeated corporal punishment, which she takes in stride. Meanwhile, she sows the seed of discord among the Aes Sedai, many of whom have already begun to question Elaida's leadership. Egwene's refusal to bend to Elaida gains her the respect of many of her Aes Sedai in the Tower, including Silviana Brehon, a Red, who as Mistress of Novices is responsible for Egwene's frequent beatings. Egwene is required to attend Elaida at a formal dinner. She keeps silent during the dinner, which Elaida takes as servitude. Meidani is also present at the dinner and Egwene requests that she ask for private lessons with Egwene. Watching the whole White Tower crumble causes Egwene pain, which she uses to put into perspective all the strappings she gets. Eventually, she begins to laugh at the pain, as the Aiel do. She feels the pain of division and discord among the Aes Sedai much more keenly. She is visiting Leane when a Bubble of evil erupts and nearly melts Leane with the entire cell. Leane is saved by her jailers Gelarna and Musarin. She then walks back to the Novice quarters when a warping of the Pattern swaps some of the Brown Ajah quarters with the Novice quarters. Siuan continues to meet with Egwene in Tel'aran'rhiod, where she gives her the news of Halima actually being one of the Forsaken and Lelaine's reach for power while pretending to be acting in Egwene's name. Egwene gains the respect of prominent Sisters and Sitters when they invite her to debate with them. Ferane, for instance, compliments her on her logic, and Suana, Head of the Yellow, recommends the Ajah to her. During these moments, she tries to Heal the bridges between the Ajahs, knowing that the Last Battle approaches, and that the White Tower as it is, is woefully unprepared for it. However, this comes to the halt when Elaida passes down an order for Egwene to stop attending Sisters until further notice. Egwene, that same day the order is passed down, is ordered once again to attend Elaida during dinner with several other sisters. Flushing out the Black Ajah When Elaida questions Egwene's dreams in front of the Sisters, Egwene has no choice but to force the confrontation that has been brewing for so long. She outwits Elaida verbally, bringing up the massive failures on Elaida's part, as well as her tyranny and her failed attempt to kidnap the Dragon Reborn. When Egwene finally insults Elaida, Elaida momentarily loses her sanity and beats her with Air and throws her in the dungeon on charges of being a Darkfriend, only to be released when Silviana denounces Elaida in front of the whole hall, causing an exchange of prisoners, with Silviana being thrown into the cells in place of Egwene. Later that day, Verin comes in and announces that she is Black Ajah, giving Egwene all her notes regarding the Shadow before she dies, having poisoned herself with Asping Rot while relating to Egwene her tale. Egwene proceeds to uncover the Black Ajah, reading through the list of names in the book. Egwene is sickened by the names of Aes Sedai on the list, Sheriam Bayanar among them, as well as Moria Karentaris, and is horror struck at the number of Black Ajah Sitters present. Attack of the Seanchan During the battle with the Seanchan that same night, Egwene gathers the novices together, teaches them to link, and organizes the defense on the 22nd Level of the White Tower, and rescues several sisters in the process, including Green Ajah Head Adelorna Bastine, who gains a formidable respect for her during the fight. Egwene proceeds to wreak havoc on the Seanchan, forcing them to withdraw with the aid of a sa'angreal she took from the storerooms. Overall, she blew thirty raken from the sky and captured ten damane, whilst only losing one Aes Sedai out of the forty she rescued, and three of the novices she gathered. She amazed Saerin Asnobar with her competency, and this competency leads to Saerin bringing up her name time and time again in the Hall the next day as a potential candidate for the Amrylin Seat when Elaida is captured. The Ajah Heads, led by Adelorna, eventually take a hand in the Hall, and make their Sitters vote for Egwene. Meanwhile, back at the Rebel Camp, Egwene purges the camp of the Black Ajah Sisters and executes over fifty sisters, though nearly twenty escape the scene. When Elaida was captured by the Seanchan, the Hall of the White Tower chose to raise Egwene in Elaida's place. Egwene then chooses Silviana as her Keeper of the Chronicles, having discovered that Sheriam was Black Ajah and wishing to help heal the damage done to the Red Ajah. She berates the Hall for not doing more, and formally requests an admission of guilt and apology from the rebel Aes Sedai, as she welcomes them home. Her stated goal is to reforge the Tower so that its temporary division and damaged reputation will be forgotten in light of their great deeds as the Last Battle approaches. Egwene begins to follow up on the Black Ajah sisters inside the White Tower to find that most of them were somehow tipped off and have escaped. She has also tested every sister with the Oath Rod but has still not identified the identity of Mesaana. Silviana guides Egwene to where she can see over Dragonmount. There she sees a brilliant ray of light shining through the dark storm clouds onto Dragonmount. She asks Silviana to write this day down as something profound has occurred. Battle in Tel'aran'rhiod Egwene is later informed that Rand has arrived at the White Tower . After meeting with him, he announces his plans to destroy the remaining Seals on the Dark One's prison in one month, inviting the White Tower and any of its allies to join him at the Field of Merrilor for the beginning of the Last Battle . After his departure, Egwene begins preparations to gather a huge delegation to confront Rand and oppose his plans. She meets Amys and Bair in Tel'aran'rhiod to inform them that she has become Amyrlin Seat and then informs them of Rand's plan. She asks them and the rest of the Wise Ones to help her oppose him. She then meets with Nynaeve and Elayne and summons them both back to the Tower to be tested. While there she uses Nynaeve's own example of becoming Wisdom to help her show respect to the station of Amyrlin Seat. Although the Tower has been cleansed of the Black Ajah , Egwene is still aware of Mesaana's presence due to dreams pertaining to her. Gawyn comes to confront her on a series of deaths within the Tower, and she reveals that the deaths were probably the result of being murdered by Mesaana rather than the Black Ajah. After an assassination attempt on her life, she devises a plan to lure Mesaana and any Black sisters into a trap in Tel'aran'riod. Egwene sets up a meeting in tel'aran'riod between Aes Sedai, Sea Folk Windfinders and Aiel Wise Ones. It is decided at the meeting that Accepted will go and train with the Wise Ones for six months and then they would then train with the Sea Folk for a further six months before returning back at the White Tower. They would then make a choice a year later on where they would wish to finish their training. Sea Folk and Wise One apprentices would also go through this training program but to the White Tower and the other Channeling faction. It is agreed that for every two Accepted who leave, two Wise One apprentices and two Sea Folk apprentices will be exchanged. The Sea Folk Bargain is also modified so that Aes Sedai sisters no longer have to teach Sea Folk Windfinders anymore and that Sea Folk Aes Sedai can now return back to their homeland and be the Channellers who teach the Sea Folk Windfinders. Finally all ter'angreal that are already owned by the Aiel or by the Sea Folk cannot be claimed by the White Tower. After the meeting Siuan appears and tells Egwene that the Black Ajah has struck and the [[Battle in Tel'aran'rhiod|Battle in Tel'aran'rhiod]] begins. Egwene strikes down and kills a number of Black Aes Sedai, during which she truly masters the nature of the world of dreams. After being captured by Mesaana and taken to hidden room in the dream, Mesaana attempts to bend Egwene's will to her own. Using the strength of the White Tower and generations of Aes Sedai behind her, Egwene manages to overpower Mesaana's will, breaking the Forsaken's mind and rendering her comatose. After Egwene awakens, she finds a massacre in her chambers, three dead Bloodknives, a dead soldier and the barely living Gawyn Trakand surrounding her. Realizing that Gawyn saved her life from the Seanchan assassins that were responsible for the murders in the Tower, she bonds him, saving his life and making him her warder, telling him she wants him as her husband. They later agree to become married. The Last Battle The Field of Merrilor Egwene and Rand argue about his plans to break the Seals of the Dark One's prison. Egwene still refuses to see Rand's perspective, and intends to have the Aes Sedai acknowledged as the leading force in the Last Battle. She confuses and angers Rand to mess up his equilibrium. Rand gives Egwene the Seals after prodding from Moiraine. The Battle of Kandor Egwene leads the channelers against the forces that have destroyed Kandor. Egwene's forces are almost destroyed after a surprise attack from Shara and their leader Bao the Wyld. Alliance with the Seanchan Mat helps Tuon and Egwene agree to fight against the Shadow toghether in the Last Battle. Commander of the Forces of the Light Egwene decides to give Mat command of her forces after discovering that Gareth Bryne has fallen victim to compulsion that had been woven by Graendal. The Flame of Tar Valon Egwene leads a rescue attempt for Gawyn after he loses a duel against Demandred. Upon recovering from the death of Gawyn, Egwene regains Vora's sa'angreal from Silviana and rejoins the Aes Sedai in battle, who are faring badly against the Sharans. Using the power the sa'angreal gives her she becomes a rallying point against the Sharan channelers and pushes them back east, destroying those against her until M'Hael arrives. M'Hael tries to take her on, but with the power of Vora's Sa'angreal Egwene is the stronger of the two and defeats him, nearly shielding and capturing him in the process. However, M'Hael uses the True Power to unleash balefire to destroy her hold over him and escapes. Egwene uses the opportunity to continue to destroy the Sharan channelers. After hours of channeling, Egwene is tired, but pushes on and drives the Sharans back at a high cost of lives on both sides. M'Hael returns with the aid of Demandred's sa'angreal Sakarnen, and starts using balefire indiscriminately against her troops. Egwene duels M'Hael head-on, sa'angreal to sa'angreal, but still refuses to attack with balefire, contemplating on Perrin's words, It is only a weave, and her belief on the existence of an opposite weave. Launching a balefire against her, Egwene releases a newly invented weave to counter M'Hael's sa'angreal-aided stream of balefire, which she had tried on the spreading cracks on the ground earlier but now "of a greater power and scope": which she sentimentally names the Flame of Tar Valon. Egwene releases the weave against M'Hael's balefire attack, and the two cancel each other out, with the Flame of Tar Valon also shoring up the cracks in the Pattern created by the relentless use of balefire by the Shadow's forces. Drawing upon more of the Power than she can handle safely, for Vora's sa'angreal has no buffer, Egwene defeats M'Hael and leaves him in a frozen, crystallized form. Because she had pulled in too much of the Power, Egwene decides to make one last attack to defeat the enemy rather than get burned out and die, laying to waste "her rally of the Aes Sedai and the dozens upon dozens of Sharans she had killed." She wraps Leilwin (Egeanin) in bonds of air, transporting her to safety by gateway and releases her from her service, expressing instructions that, finally realizing the effect of it, agree with Rand's plan to break the seals at the right time, at "the moment the light shines." Egwene then turns to the remaining Sharans, and unleashes the Flame of Tar Valon "into the ground beneath her and high into the sky", which washes across the remaining hundreds of Sharan channelers in the area, crystallizing them in a manner that "would have had much less effect on a person who had not given himself to the Shadow" and sealing all the cracks on the ground made by her duel with M'Hael. Egwene's death is witnessed by those around Polov Heights, including surviving Aes Sedai Leane Sharif, who describes the Amyrlin's sacrifice as a "magnificent burst of light" that "washed the hillside of its darkness and--for a moment--left only brilliance." Egwene helps Rand to stand against the Dark One after her death, telling him to not mourn the fallen, to let go of the guilt and embrace the deaths of those who died for what they believed in, letting them become what they deserve to be, heroes. She is last mentioned in the Epilogue, wherein Tam al'Thor, before lighting Rand's funeral pyre, thinks about the quiet simplicity of his son's memorial compared to the elaborate one the Aes Sedai were preparing for their Amyrlin. Seanchan *Egwene has had a number of dreams about the Seanchan attacking the White Tower. It will be an event that will shake the White Tower to its core. This has strengthened her resolve to unite the Tower before this event occurs, but unsuccessfully. This is fulfilled in the Seanchan attack which claims Elaida. *She has also dreamed that she is tied to a Seanchan woman who will somehow save her, a thought she isn't too pleased with. Fulfilled when Egwene is rescued from the Sharans by Leilwin and when she bonds her in order to keep fighting after the death of her Warder, Gawyn Trakand. Etymology The name Egwene al'Vere is likely derived from Gwynevere, the wife of King Arthur. However, aside from the name, the similarities between the two figures do not go far. See also * Egwene's dreams es:Egwene al'Vere it:Egwene al'Vere Category:Novices Category:Accepted Category:Dreamwalkers Category:Damane Category:Two Rivers (people) Category:Rebel Aes Sedai